Heavy Cross
by GoddessShizu
Summary: Set after the anime. Shizuma is studying law and has lost sight of a good friend.
1. It's a cruel, cruel world

New story, I'm not completely happy with the first chapters. Please review!!!!

I have the entire story in my head and can't type quickly enough. I'm afraid that the quality suffers.

It's set after the anime.

One inspiration was the song "Heavy Cross" gy the Gossip...

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Strawberry Panic or the song "Heavy Cross"!!!!!

* * *

Shizuma was woken from a deep sleep by the beeping of her telephone. Without bothering to open her eyes, she reached for it.

"Hello?" she mumbled sleepily, her head half-buried in her pillow.

"Shizuma? Are you sick?"

"Amane!" Shizuma raised her head to speak more intelligibly. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Yes. It is 9 o'clock on a Saturday morning. I've already trained with Starbright, cleaned the stable and fed the horses. Then, I took a shower, had breakfast and called you."

Shizuma was speechless for a moment. "Amane, sometimes you scare me." she finally stated.

But she didn't mind Amane waking her at this hour. After the Etoile election, Amane had come to her for advice, first only about Etoile duties, later also about her relationship with Hikari. A friendship had developed over the months and they frequently talked on the phone after Shizuma graduated and moved to Tokyo to begin college.

Amane laughed. "Well, then you scare quite easily. Never thought you would…" she mused.

"I. Don't. Scare. Easily." Shizuma pointedly spaced out the words.

"I was just teasing…Well, how's university life?"

"Oh, it's great. I have really interesting classes and I've met lots of wonderful people. How are you doing? And Hikari? And…Nagisa?"

"Oh, I'm fine. Hikari and I have finally adjusted to being Etoile. I have no idea how you managed to do it on your own. And our relationship is going along quite well. I've never been so happy in my life. And Nagisa…well, she and Tamao seem very, very happy. I'm sorry."

"Oh, don't be. I always wanted Nagisa to be happy. And I have no idea how we would have managed to stay together after graduation. Anyway, I still had to get over Kaori…I don't think Nagisa could have helped me with that. She really wanted someone to take care of her."

"But you did take care of her." Amane pointed out.

"I know, but it's not something I want to do all my life. I want someone I can be myself around."

"I can understand that. You know, Hikari is…" Amane launched into a long story about her and Hikari. Shizuma smiled to herself as she listened. She got up, slipped on a short silk robe and went into the kitchen to make coffee.

Amane finished her story.

"So, you two are deliriously happy. I think it's wonderful." Shizuma said warmly.

"Thanks. A lot of it is thanks to you and your advice." Amane was silent for a moment. "Say, have you already gotten your mail?"

"Amane, you know I just got out of bed. Let me check if the doorman has brought it yet."

Shizuma walked into her hallway and saw a small stack of envelopes lying beside her door.

"Yes, my mail is here. Why do you want to know?"

"Is there a square, cream colored envelope?"

"Hold on…yeah…What is it?"

"Just open it."

With a feeling of trepidation, Shizuma quickly tore open the envelope and pulled out a card. She opened it. Her eyes fell on a picture of Miyuki in a wedding dress, standing next to a young man in a tuxedo. All the color drained from Shizuma's face and she almost dropped the phone.

"Good lord, she went through with it." she whispered. "And I wasn't even invited." Shizuma looked into the envelope again and found a piece of paper, covered in Miyuki's writing.

_Dearest Shizuma,_

_as you can see, I have gotten married. I'm sorry that I didn't invite you to the wedding. Neither my husband nor I were able to invite friends. It was solely for our families and business associates of our fathers. On one hand, I would have loved to have you there, but maybe it's better this way. I know how you feel about arranged marriages. I wouldn't have wanted you to see me like this._

_With all my love,_

_Miyuki_

Shizuma felt the tears running over her face.

"Shizuma? Are you still there?" Amane's voice came from the receiver.

"Yes, I am…Oh, I can't believe this…She wrote me a note." With a choked voice, Shizuma read the note to her friend.

"I got an announcement as well, and she also wrote that she couldn't invite friends." Amane sighed.

"I…I can't believe it…she never wanted this…" Shizuma sobbed.

"Shizuma, if you have any appointments today, cancel them. Come over to Astrea Hill. I'll meet you in the village café, then we can talk. Okay?"

Shizuma quickly pulled herself together and wiped her eyes.

"Okay. I'll be there in about three hours. Bring Hikari if you like."

"I'll ask her. Drive carefully, okay?"

"I will. See you!"


	2. Alright, but never complete

Twenty minutes after the agreed time, Shizuma entered the café. Hikari and Amane were already sitting at a table by the window. They noticed their friend and waved. Shizuma made her way to the table.

"Shizuma-sama, it's so good to see you!" Hikari jumped up and hugged Shizuma tightly.

"Hikari, it's great to see you, too." The green eyed beauty returned the hug, then held the young girl at arm's length, studying her. Hikari looked great. There seemed to be a new confidence radiating from her.

"You look wonderful, Hikari." Shizuma said fondly.

"Arrigato, Shizuma-sama." Hikari blushed slightly and sat back down.

Amane stood up and pulled the silver haired young woman into her arms.

"How are you feeling?" she whispered.

"I'll manage."

Amane looked at her friend, a worried expression on her face, as both girls sat down.

"So…that letter was quite a shock for you." The blue-haired women stated.

"Definitely. I didn't think she would go through with it. After graduation, her family took her home. It's been impossible to reach her. I haven't talked to her since we left Astrea Hill. Maybe I should have been there for her, helped her fight…but I don't know how I could have done that. I thought about it, tried to reach her…I even went to her family's house. They wouldn't even let me in. I was told, very politely, that Miss Miyuki wasn't available and then greatly discouraged to come and visit again." Tears sprang to her eyes.

Amane reached across the table and took Shizuma's hand.

"And if you try to see her now?" she suggested carefully.

"I told you what she wrote…"

"Yeah, I know. But why would she bother to send us the announcements and notes if she didn't want to have any contact with us?" The Etoile asked.

"Amane has a point." Hikari said quietly.

"You are right." Shizuma agreed.

"Do you have any idea how to find her?" The Spican prince questioned.

"Let me check the envelope…yeah, look. There's a return address." Shizuma pointed to the back of the envelope. She was lost in thought for a while

"I could buy some wine and flowers and visit them to congratulate the happy couple and pay my regards."

"That's an idea. Sounds good." Amane smiled.

"So, tell me about life on Astrea Hill! I never thought I'd miss it." Shizuma mused, quickly changing the subject.

Amane and Hikari launched into a long discourse about everything that had happened lately.

"And how is life at university?" Hikari enquired.

"Fine. Different from life at school. The classes are really demanding, and we have lots of papers, reports and exams. But I have much to learn before I'm a lawyer."

"And how are the girls?" Amane grinned.

Shizuma sighed. "I expected better, to tell the truth. Oh, they are beautiful and gorgeous, but…well, they expect me to be a star. They want me to be perfect and want me to give. They aren't interested in ME, just in the role I play."

"I know how you feel. Hikari's the only one who didn't want a hero, didn't want a star, but wanted Amane. Just me, like I am." She smiled fondly at her girlfriend.

"Yes, that's what I want as well…someone I can be myself around. These relationships are okay, but not what I want from life."

"You'll find someone, I'm sure." Amane squeezed the young woman's hand.

Several chat-filled hours later, Shizuma checked her watch.

"I'm sorry, girls. I have to get going. It'll be dark by the time I get home. And I want to start my preparations for my visit at Miyuki's house as quickly as possible." She signalled the waitress, who came over at once.

"The check, please."

"In a minute, miss." The woman hurried away and quickly returned with a small piece of paper.

Shizuma pulled out her wallet, removed some money and gave it to the waitress, who thanked her and left the table.

"My treat." The former Etoile smiled at Hikari and Amane.

"Thanks, Shizuma."

"Do you want me to drive you up to the school?"  
"That would save us a good deal of uphill-walking." Hikari said gratefully.

Together they left the café. Shizuma walked toward her sleek silver Mercedes convertible.

"Wow, I'm impressed! Does every student of Tokyo university drive a car like that?" Amane grinned.

Shizuma laughed. "No, that was my dad's graduation present." She opened the door. Hikari climbed onto the backseat while Amane dropped into the passenger's seat. Shizuma started the motor and drove up to the school. Having arrived, she bid goodbye to Amane and Hikari and drove back home, contemplating how to reunite with Miyuki.


	3. You're moments ago

A few days later, Shizuma had bought a basket filled with wine, fruits, champagne and other delicacies. A huge bouquet of summer flowers was lying next to the basket, safely wrapped in paper. The silver haired woman looked at her reflection in the full length mirror. She was dressed in dark gray pant suit, with a vivid magenta blouse. Her hair was out of its usual ponytail, done up in an elegant French twist.

"I guess I'm as ready as I can be."

She glanced once more at the piece of paper, on which she had written down the information the private detective had given her about Miyuki's husband.

Shizuma picked up the basket, the flowers and her handbag, left her apartment, got into her car and drove toward the house in the outskirts of Tokyo.

Half an hour later, she cut the engine.

"Wow…that's a nice place." the green eyed woman murmured as she viewed the large villa appreciatively. Once more, she checked her watch. Perfect. Miyuki's husband should have gotten home about an hour ago. The couple didn't have any appointments today. Her arrival should be timed well. Gathering her bag, the flowers and the basket, Shizuma left her car, walked up to the house and rang the doorbell.

A man in a butler's uniform opened the door almost instantly.

"Yes?" he inquired, one eyebrow raised.

"Konnichiwa. I'm Hanazono Shizuma, a school friend of Toyotomi Miyuki. I wanted to congratulate her and her husband and pay my regards."

"I see. Is the lady expecting you?"

"No, I didn't call."

"I'll see if the lady and the gentleman are available."

The man closed the door in Shizuma's face.

A few minutes later, the door opened again.

"The lady and the gentleman will receive you in the drawing room. Please follow me."

Shizuma entered the house and followed the butler through a hallway to the drawing room, a large, airy room, with tasteful furniture and decorations. Miyuki was sitting on a small sofa by the window, her husband was standing next to her.

"Shizuma!" she called when her friend entered the room. She moved forward as if to jump up, but her husband stopped her with a hand on her shoulder.

"Miyuki, I'm sure you agree that, as the gentleman of the house, it is my duty to receive our guests." His eyes never left Shizuma's face as he talked to his wife.

He moved forward and clasped the silver haired woman's right hand in his own.

"Toyotomi Asuna. I don't believe we have met?"

"Hanazono Shizuma. No, we haven't had the pleasure." Shizuma shook his hand.

"Well, I must say I have heard very much about you. Miyuki talks about you quite often." He turned and smiled warmly at his wife.

"I see you brought presents."

"Hai. I wanted to offer my congratulations for your wedding." Shizuma strained her neck to keep from looking at Miyuki. This conversation was pure torture.

"Thank you very much. Daiki?" The butler appeared. "Daiki, please put these beautiful flowers into a vase."

"Certainly, sir." Daiki took the flowers and left the room.

Asuna inspected the basket. "Oh, you bought my favourite Scottish single malt! We must try it. Will you join me in a glass, Miss Hanazono?"

Shizuma nodded.

"And Miyuki, will you have one as well?"

"Yes."

"Good. I'll take care of it. Please excuse me for a moment, ladies."

Asuna had barely left the room when Miyuki jumped up and threw herself into Shizuma's arms.

"Shizuma! I can't believe you're here! I've missed you….god, have I missed you!"

Shizuma pulled her friend as close as she possibly could, burying her face in the blue hair.

"Miyuki…Miyuki…" she whispered over and over.

"I'm so happy to see you." Miyuki whispered. "But I don't know if I can let go of you again."

"Don't. I'd be deliriously happy to stay like this." Shizuma answered without thinking.

Someone cleared a throat. Shizuma and Miyuki shot apart.

"Now, is that appropriate, my darling?" Asuna said quietly, putting an arm possessively around Miyuki's shoulders.

"No…I'm sorry, Asuna."

He smiled and handed a glass of whisky to his wife and her friend.

"Don't worry. I can understand how you feel after not seeing each other for such a long time. Now, ladies, cheers." He raised his glass and waited for his wife and Shizuma to do the same.

"Miss Hanazono, will you join us for dinner?"

"No, I'm afraid I can't. I have an appointment this evening. I have to get going now." She smiled at Asuna.

"Oh, that's too bad."

He smiled again. "Well, I'll say goodbye now, I have an important phone call to make." Asuna reached out and took Shizuma's right hand, placing a kiss an inch above the back of her hand. "Miyuki will show you to the door."

He turned and left.

"Do you really have to leave?" Miyuki asked quietly.

"Yes. I'm sorry. But here's my phone number. Call me. Please!"

"Don't worry, I will. I have nothing to do all day except sit around, look pretty, accompany Asuna to invitations and wait to become pregnant." She laughed bitterly.

Shizuma hugged her friend once more.

"I'm so sorry, Miyuki!"

"It's not your fault." The blue haired woman sighed. "I just feel so…dead. There are no emotions, nothing. I function, but I'm not living."

"Do you think he'll let us see each other?"

"I think so. He doesn't know about…what happened at school. Between you and Nagisa, you and me. If he knew, he'd never let me see you. He won't be thrilled that I'm meeting a single woman who's a university student, but he won't forbid me to see you."

"Okay. I really have to go now. Call me soon, okay?"

Miyuki brought her to the door. Shizuma hugged her one final time, then got into her car and drove home.


	4. but seconds away

As soon as she got home, Shizuma reached for her phone and called Amane.

"I went to see her. And her husband." she said after Amane had answered.

"Was it bad?"

"You bet it was." Shizuma sighed. "There isn't much of the Miyuki we knew left. She seems broken, like a wild bird kept in a too small cage. That bird won't sing, even if the cage is golden."

"Oh no…and her husband?"

"Asuna?" Shizuma laughed bitterly. "He is as possessive as a man can be. Didn't keep him from flirting with me, though. He keeps Miyuki as a pretty accessory. She said she only sits around all day, looking pretty, or accompanies Asuna to invitations and is patiently waiting to become pregnant. And the way she apologized when that idiot saw us hugging..."

"Poor girl." Amane sighed.

"I gave her my phone number. Let's hope she calls soon…"

* * *

On Friday, Shizuma's phone rang just as she left class. She checked the number: private.

"Hello?"

"Shizuma? It's Miyuki."  
"Miyuki! Hi! Great to hear from you."

"It's good to hear you, too. Say, are you busy this afternoon?"

"No. Why?"

"I'd love to see you. How about getting some coffee? There's a nice café downtown."

"Sounds wonderful. I just got out of class, I could be there in about half an hour."

"Great. I'm already there, I'll get us a table."

Shizuma hurried to her car and quickly drove downtown, found a parking space and made her way to the café. She entered and saw Miyuki sitting at a table in the corner. Only a handful of tables was occupied. A smile spread across the former Etoile's face as she walked through the room.

"Miyuki!" Her friend jumped up and hugged her.

"Shizuma!"

Shizuma carefully looked at Miyuki. There was a smile on her friend's face, but it barely reached her eyes, which seemed tired. Her face was paler than usual and her body didn't have its usual poise. Her shoulders were slumped, she seemed…smaller. The silver haired woman sighed and sat down.

"I'm glad you called." she said sincerely.

"I only waited for the opportunity. Asuna is out of town for the weekend, on business."

A waiter came over, took their order and disappeared.  
"I thought he didn't mind us meeting." Shizuma looked puzzled.

"I don't think he does. But…well…I'll tell him when he gets back. I mean I don't have to tell him ahead that I want to see you. The last two days I was busy. We had company yesterday, Asuna's business associates, and I had to prepare everything with Daiki."

"Oh, so you DO have more to do than sitting around, looking pretty, accompanying Asuna to invitations and…" Shizuma hesitated.

"And waiting to become pregnant. You can say it." Miyuki smiled grimly.

"Is it so bad?"

"Are you serious?" The blue haired woman gaped at her best friend incredulously.

"Yes, I am serious. I've never had sex with a man."

"Lucky you. I hate it. He comes to bed, pulls off my clothes, kisses me roughly and that's his idea of foreplay. Then he plows me, for about 5 minutes, kisses me once more, rolls off me and asks how he was."

Shizuma stared at her, open-mouthed. "And what do you answer him?"

"I usually mumble something. I mean, what am I supposed to say? It was incredible?"

"Miyuki, I have no idea how you can stand it. What about love, and passion, and lust?"

"Well, considering Asuna's the first person I've ever had sex with, I can't really compare it with anything."

The waiter returned with their coffees.

"Can I do anything else for you?" he asked politely.

"No, we're fine." Miyuki smiled.

He moved away from the table.

"Miyuki, are you serious?"

"Of course I am. There never was anyone. I mean, there were my feelings for you, I had a huge crush on Kaori…and there were a few others I felt something for. But nothing ever happened. Except for those kisses from you. I only had my own emotions, I never shared anything. Those kisses from you didn't mean anything…at least nothing beyond friendship."

"What do you feel when you're with Asuna? I mean not only in bed." Shizuma asked quietly, already dreading the answer.

"I feel nothing. He's nice, he can be sweet and attentive. But that's all. Truth is, I don't want him near me. But I have to fulfil my wifely duties and if he wants me, I have to comply."

Shizuma took a deep breath, trying to keep from starting to cry in the middle of a café.

"And that's what your parents wanted for you…" she whispered.

"Oh, my mother told me we'd learn to get along. Children would bring us closer together, and feelings could grow. She doesn't know anything else. She was promised to my dad at birth, tutored at home, always accompanied everywhere by someone and left her family's house on the day of her wedding. I mean, compared to her, I had a lavish amount of freedom, attending St. Miator."

"I never knew that."

Gloomily, the two women silently sipped their coffee. Shizuma feverishly racked her brain for something to shake Miyuki out of her mood.

Half a coffee later, Shizuma asked:" Asuna is gone all weekend?"

"Yes. Why?"

"Well, then we can go out tonight. Have some fun, you know?"

"I…I guess we could…but I have nothing to wear."

"Don't worry, we'll go by my place and get changed. I'm not going out like this."

"Your place? Great, I'm curious to see how you live."

After finishing their coffees and paying, the two women found themselves in Shizuma's Mercedes. During the drive home, Shizuma thought about where to take Miyuki. Since starting university, she had frequented several clubs. Finally, she settled on the Monsoon.

Miyuki didn't talk much during their drive, she was busy looking out the window, having never been in this part of Tokyo before. She seemed startled when Shizuma parked the car and turned off the motor.

"We're here." She smiled at Miyuki. "Come on."

Both women climbed out of the car and went up to Shizuma's apartment.

The green eyed woman disappeared into her bedroom to check her wardrobe, while Miyuki roamed through the apartment.

The kitchen was light, airy, with several large windows, and didn't look as if it had been used very much. The expensive stove was meticulously clean, the cupboards' light wood was unblemished. Curious, Miyuki opened the modern fridge. It was filled with fruit, vegetables, mineral water, diet coke and alcohol. The freezer was stuffed with frozen pizzas. 'Shizuma the master chef', the former school council president mused and giggled to herself.

The next room she entered was the living room. The walls were painted a pastel orange, the curtains and the carpet on the wooden floorboards were a warmer shade of the same color. The main piece of furniture was a huge mocha suede sofa. In front of it stood a coffee table, made of cherry wood, with a glass table top.

Next to the window was a large, fuzzy plant. Throw pillows in several shades of orange were scattered on the floor and different sized candlesticks were placed throughout the room. Shizuma's desk with her modern laptop computer stood in a corner, next to the numerous large bookcases, which were brimming with books and folders.

On the wall above the desk were many pictures, showing Shizuma, her family and friends. Miyuki recognized several of the photos taken at Astrea Hill.

"Miyuki? Where are you?" Shizuma's voice came from the hallway.

"I'm in the living room. "  
"Are you ready to get dresses yet?"  
"No, I haven't seen your bathroom yet."  
Shizuma sighed. "Okay, come here when you've seen everything."

Miyuki continued her investigations.

The bathroom was blue and turquoise. The big sunken bath tub was the first thing Miyuki's eyes settled on, a dark blue crater in a sea of turquoise marble. The walls were also turquoise, a slightly lighter shade than the floor.

Next to the bathtub was a big shower stall, enclosed by glass panes, with a blue floor. It could easily hold three people at once, just like the bath tub. The sink was a blue and turquoise glass bowl, with a blue cabinet for storage standing beside it and a big mirror above. The blue toilet was hidden behind a wall.

Illumination was provided by several lamps on the walls, with blue bulbs, causing an underwater feeling. Miyuki's mind was busily contemplating all the possible uses of the shower and bathtub, and wondering why there was a large mirror on the ceiling above the tub when Shizuma's voice called again, sounding slightly impatient.

"I'm coming." Miyuki left the bathroom and crossed the hallway, stepping into the bedroom.

She stood rooted in the doorway. Shizuma's bedroom was done entirely in black and red. The carpet was pitch-black, the walls were a vivid red. The centerpiece of the room was a huge canopy bed, made of black metal, with red drapes and black silk bedcovers and pillow cases. A black armoire with red ornaments stood next to the door.

The lamp was absolutely amazing: above the bed was a black piece of something, with lots of small holes, which were filled with tiny red bulbs. It looked like a beautiful variation of the nightly sky. On a small black table next to the bed stood several red candles and a small vase filled with sticks of fragrant incense. The window was positioned across from the door, hung with heavy red velvet drapes, the same vivid shade as the wall.

Miyuki entered the room, to look at the pictures hanging on the wall between the bed and the armoire: extremely tasteful nude pictures of a woman.

The blue haired woman swallowed. She had never seen a room that was so…erotic. There was no other word for it. She cleared her throat.

"Do…do you know her?"

Shizuma's voice came out of the armoire, sounding muffled. "Who?" She turned around. "Oh, her. Yeah, that's Yumi. I met her at university. We're in the same business law class."

"Why did she give you those photos?"

"They were a birthday present. She models…but not nude."

Miyuki continued to look at the pictures while Shizuma kept talking.

"There's also one of both of us." she said, just as Miyuki saw the photo. She gasped. The beautiful black haired woman from the other pictures lay draped in Shizuma's arms, not quite covering the silver haired beauty's naked body. The two women were looking at each other, gazing into each other's eyes.

"Does she have pictures of you?"

"No. Only the one with both of us. I didn't have any others taken." Shizuma smiled. "When you're done looking, you can help me find an outfit for you."

Miyuki tore herself away from the pictures and focused on her friend and the content of the armoire.

Two hours later, both women were dressed, styled and ready to go. They had killed one bottle of champagne from Shizuma's fridge during their preparations and were a little bit tipsy.

"I'll call us a taxi." Shizuma reached for her phone.


	5. A way to make ends meet?

Shizuma and Miyuki entered the club, which was already bursting with women.

"Shizuma, what kind of club is this, by the way?"

"Women only. I hope that's okay?"

"Oh definitely."

As soon as Shizuma stepped through the curtain separating the club from the hallway, a woman jumped on her and clung to her arm.

"Shizuma-chan! You haven't been here for weeks! What kept you?"

"Kasumi-chan! It's really been a long time…I'm sorry. I was extremely busy."

A knowing smile crept onto Kasumi's face. "With Yumi?"

"What? No…no, that wasn't anything. I told you." Shizuma smiled.

"Well, leaves hope for the rest of us." Kasumi shrugged her shoulders and fluffed her long pink hair. "And who's that?" The gaze of her startling blue eyes settled on Miyuki.

"That's my friend…" Not sure how to introduce Miyuki, Shizuma looked questioningly at her friend.

"I'm Miyuki." She answered quickly.

"It's nice to meet you, Miyuki…very nice indeed. Where did you hide her, Shizuma-chan?"

"She didn't hide me. I'm here for the first time."

"Well, I'll show you around." Kasumi took Miyuki's arm and led her into the club, which was jumping. Shizuma followed the two.

* * *

When the club closed in the early morning hours, Miyuki and Shizuma stumbled out, intoxicated and tired from dancing.

Miyuki held up a handful of bits of paper.

"Can you believe how many phone numbers I got?"

"Yes, I can. You are hot, Miyuki."

"No, I'm not." She giggled.

"Yes, you are. You're holding the evidence in your hand."

Miyuki considered this for a moment.

"Okay, you may be right. But only because I'm dressed in your incredibly sexy clothes and you did a fabulous job with my makeup."

"The sexiest outfit and the best makeup can't make you something you're not."

"Whatever."

Shizuma sighed. "I give up."

"I'm tired. I think I'll go right home. Can I give you your clothes back some other time?"

"Sure. But you can also come and spend the night at my place. It's a lot closer than your house."

Miyuki thought about Shizuma's bathroom and the sexy bedroom. Then she thought about the number of women Shizuma'd had draped all over her in the club.

"No, I think I'll go home. But thank you for the offer."

"Well, if you're sure…let's share a taxi. I'll pay the fare to my place. That should make an even split."

* * *

Half an hour later, Shizuma entered her apartment. Feeling wide-awake, she didn't bother to go to the bedroom, but continued into the bathroom, shedding her clothing on the way. The young woman turned on the taps, set the right temperature, chose a bath oil and waited for the tub to fill. When it had, she slid up to her neck into the fragrant water.

Her mind drifted to the night spent in the club. It had been wonderful to see Miyuki let go so much.

Her friend had danced and flirted, showing everyone in the club how to have a good time. Shizuma had watched her, how she moved with the music, the curves of her body flowing to the beat, her eyes sparkling, a permanent smile on her face. No wonder she had collected so many phone numbers. She had definitely been one of the hottest women in the club that night.

Shizuma realised that Miyuki had been the only woman she had noticed in the club that night. Well, noticed wasn't the right word. She had been captivated by her friend. 'What if Miyuki had come home with me? Would she be here in the tub now?', Shizuma thought to herself. Her imagination was ensnared by the picture of her and her friend lying in the tub together.

She closed her eyes as her hand, almost on its own account, drifted over her body, skirting her breasts and stomach, before settling between her thighs. Her breath quickened as she stroked and caressed. She moaned as she delayed her release, deliberately denying her body what it craved. A face framed by dark blue hair, with beautiful brown eyes appeared in her mind while she pushed herself further, feeling the first waves of climax approaching. Her moaning increased as she realised she couldn't delay any longer.

"Miyuki!" she moaned loudly as her climax swept her along. A few minutes, she lay motionless in her bathtub, panting. Then, Shizuma opened her eyes. She pulled up the plug to let the water flow down the drain, wrapped herself in a fluffy towel and went to bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

* * *

Hours later, she drifted toward wakefulness, still caught in an erotic dream. She could almost feel the hands of a certain blue-haired woman caressing her body. Shizuma woke fully and shook her head, smiling. The dream could only be the result of seeing Miyuki again, the night at the club and her fantasies in the bathtub the night before. It meant nothing.

She climbed out of bed, pulled on a t-shirt and went into the kitchen to make coffee and get some aspirin.


	6. I trust you

Breathing a sigh of relief, Shizuma closed the door to her apartment. The week had been strenuous, filled with lots of work for university and an exam, which she had taken today. But it was Friday and she had an entire weekend ahead of her, with nothing to do. The young woman dropped her bag and jacket where she stood and pulled the shoes off her feet. She sauntered into the kitchen, checking the contents of the fridge and freezer. Not finding anything in the least bit satisfactory in the ways of dinner, she reached for the phone and dialled a number, while quickly reading a delivery menu. Unable to decide what she wanted to eat, Shizuma simply ordered several meals. That would take care of dinner for the weekend.

While waiting for her food, the silver haired woman took a shower and slipped on a pair of figure-hugging grey sweatpants and a pink tank top. Then, she cleared the doorway of her apartment, went into the living room and switched on her television, walked into the kitchen and opened a bottle of wine. A buzz sounded from the door.

"Wow, that was fast," Shizuma thought as she reached for the intercom connected to the front desk of the building's doorman.

"Yes?"

"Miss Hanazono, there's a visitor for you here."  
"A visitor? Not a food delivery person?"

"No, a visitor. She says her name is Miyuki. Can I send her up?"  
"Miyu…Yes, yes, please send her up."

A few moments later, a soft knock sounded at the door. Shizuma opened, coming face-to-face with her best friend, holding a large bag of food.

"I met the delivery boy at the doorman's desk and decided to save him the trip up here."

"Hi, Miyuki. Thanks, I'll give you the money in a second. Come in."

Miyuki entered the apartment. "Don't bother with the money. Maybe you'll let me join you for dinner…unless you plan to eat this all by yourself?"

Shizuma laughed. "Sure you can join me. I couldn't decide what to order, so…" she shrugged.

"You just ordered everything you felt like eating, thinking you'd have enough for tomorrow as well?"

"Yeah."  
"I always do that, too." Miyuki grinned.

"Go into the living room, I'll get some plates and a glass for you."

Miyuki went into the living room and sat down on the sofa. Shizuma soon joined her and the two busied themselves filling up plates and the wineglasses. They ate silently for a while, both of them hungry.

"By the way, I brought your clothes."

The silver haired woman thought for a moment. "How about you keep them? You looked so incredible in that outfit."  
"Are you serious? Thank you!" Miyuki beamed.

"How was your week? Did you call all those girls who gave you their number?"

The blue haired woman blushed crimson. "No. I didn't call any of them."

"You look cute when you blush, Miyuki."  
"Shizuma, don't tease me!"

They continued to eat. When they had finished their meal, Shizuma asked: "Does Asuna know you're here?"

"No, he left on another business trip. He'll be gone for a week."

The green eyed woman decided not to push the subject.

"So…how about a dvd? I had planned to watch a film…"

"Sure."

Shizuma eyed Miyuki's creaseless black slacks and the cream silk blouse doubtfully. "Your clothes don't look like they're friends of lounging on sofas."

The blue haired woman looked herself up and down. "You could be right."

"Come on, I'll give you something comfortable."

Minutes later, Miyuki was also dressed in sweatpants and a t-shirt.

"That's better."

Both women snuggled onto the couch, Miyuki sliding into Shizuma's arms as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Shizuma pressed a few buttons on her remote controls and the film "Love of my life" started.

Halfway through the film, Shizuma whispered: "You know, I couldn't spend an evening like this with any of the friends I have found here in Tokyo."

Miyuki smiled as she gently stroked the arm Shizuma had put around her. "I feel the same way."

The film continued. When the two main characters landed in bed, Miyuki's breath quickened, a soft moan escaping her lips while things heated up on the screen. Shizuma suddenly had a flashback to her dream the week before, as she pictured herself and her best friend in bed. Miyuki's hand clenched on her friend's arm.

Shizuma's attention was drawn away from her fantasy, concentrating on her friend.

"Miyuki?" she asked quietly.

Her friend's head turned. Desire burned in the brown eyes focusing on green ones. Without thinking, Shizuma bridged the distance between her and her friend's lips and kissed her softly. Miyuki turned, causing the other woman to fall back, but managed not to break the kiss. The kiss slowly intensified. Almost lazily, lips parted and tongues softly met, exploring each other curiously. At the same slow pace, hands began to stroke. Shizuma felt her best friend's weight on top of her, felt hands stroking her arms and shoulders, while her own hands gently massaged Miyuki's back. Fabric was pushed upward and downward without haste. Quiet moans were escaping both women as they revealed and investigated more and more skin with hands and lips. And their eyes met. Again and again. Assuring each other that everything was progressing as it should.

A felt eternity later, Miyuki removed the last bit of fabric covering her friend and trailed a countless number of kisses down Shizuma's flat stomach, finally settling where her slender legs met. The silver haired beauty's breath quickened, came in shorter gasps as Miyuki continued to tease and explore with lips and tongue. The long, lazy foreplay had aroused Shizuma beyond belief. After a few short moments, she felt the familiar waves approaching with an intensity she hadn't experienced before.

"Miyuki…don't stop…please…don't…stop…" she moaned. The waves broke, pulling Shizuma along, left her gasping, moaning, calling Miyuki's name again and again, until she finally relaxed. As her senses returned, she lay on her back, panting. Miyuki was slowly crawling up to her, like a wild cat, settling down next to her friend. Shizuma turned and brushed a strand of hair out of her friend's face.

"That was the most incredible sex I've ever had," she whispered softly, pulling Miyuki closer for another kiss. As slowly as before, Shizuma's hands and lips caressed the blue haired woman's body until Miyuki moaned. Her hand slid across her friend's thigh, inching closer to its destination. Finally reaching the slippery skin, she allowed two fingers to slide inside, causing the brown eyed woman to gasp with surprise and pleasure.

Soft moans left the former student council president's lips, perfectly synchronized with the massaging fingers inside her. Miyuki's moans increased, became louder, as the massage intensified. Her body tension rising, the blue haired woman's eyes were closed, making her oblivious to anything but the fingers inside her. Shizuma sensed her friend's approaching climax as she continued her massage.

"Miyuki, look at me." she whispered. The brown eyes opened obediently. Seconds later, Miyuki's climax rocked her body. She moaned and gasped, her muscles clenching rhythmically, her eyes never leaving Shizuma's. Moments later, she fell back, panting, like her friend had before her. When she finally caught her breath, she whispered: "I've never felt anything like this before."

Shizuma pulled a blanket over herself and the other woman, snuggling as close as she possibly could. Slowly, the two drifted of toward a deep, exhausted, satisfied sleep.


	7. We can play it safe

Sunlight peeked through the windows, birds were singing. Shizuma slowly opened her eyes, focusing instantly on Miyuki, sleeping soundly next to her. Tenderly, the silver haired woman stroked her lover's cheek, smiling softly. Miyuki here…it was unbelievable.

Miyuki's eyelids fluttered, opened.

"Good morning, beautiful." Shizuma whispered.

The blue haired woman smiled.

"I bet you say that to every girl waking up next to you," she gently teased.

"No, I don't. Actually, I've never used that line before."

"I'm flattered."

Shizuma wrapped her arms around Miyuki, pulling her close.

"Do you want coffee and breakfast, or do you want to stay here for a little longer?"

"I wish I could just stay here. But breakfast would be nice…"

The former Etoile nuzzled Miyuki's neck. "I wouldn't mind if you stayed here," she whispered in between kisses.

"Well, we both know I can't. I have to go back to my husband."

"Didn't you say that he's gone for a week?"  
"He is. But my mother-in-law is coming to see me tonight." Miyuki sighed heavily. "Well, more like coming to control me and make sure that I'm the perfect little wife for her precious son."

For a moment, Shizuma contemplated asking Miyuki if she was planning to tell Asuna about last night, but then quickly abandoned the idea. One night was no reason to compromise the marriage. Asuna probably had women in every damn Japanese village. She decided to wait and see how this…whatever it was…would develop.

"When do you have to get going?" Shizuma asked.

"Around two, I guess."

"It's 11 now, so we still have some time. Okay, beautiful, breakfast it is." The green eyed woman jumped up and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Can I help you with anything?" Miyuki called.

"No, I'll manage."

Fifteen minutes later, Shizuma entered the living room, carrying a tray with coffee, freshly squeezed orange juice, and croissants, and joined Miyuki on the couch.

"I don't really do breakfast. I hope this is okay for you."

"It's great. Don't worry."

The two started their meal.

"Shizuma…when I came to see you last night…I didn't plan this." Miyuki said hesitantly. "I don't love Asuna, I'm not happy with this marriage, with my life or my prospects…but I never meant to be unfaithful."

Green eyes met brown ones.

"Do you honestly believe that Asuna is always faithful?"

"I…I don't know. Why?"

"My father has told me a lot about his business associates, especially those in arranged marriages. About half of them divorce their wives and marry their secretaries."

"Oh. And the other half?"

"About 85 percent of those can't divorce for some reason and keep mistresses. The other 15 percent may actually be faithful to their wives. Or they're very discreet."

"But…even if he isn't faithful, it's no reason for me to act in kind."

"That's true."

They continued their breakfast, chatting about more trivial things. After the meal, Miyuki showered, alone, and got ready to go home.

"Do you want me to drive you?"

"No. I actually drove here myself." The brown eyed woman smiled. She reached out and pulled the other woman into a tight hug.

"Thank you, Shizuma. Last night was wonderful. I didn't mean to spoil it by those things I said."

"Do you remember what you told me when I asked you what you feel when you are with Asuna?"

"Yes, I remember."  
"Think about it. And think about whether you want to spend your life like that."

"I will", Miyuki promised. "And I'll call you this week."

"Do that."

After a quick kiss, Miyuki left the apartment.

* * *

Shizuma drifted through her home, cleaning up the living room and the kitchen, picking up a book and putting it down, unable to concentrate, flipping through the TV channels. The apartment felt strangely empty.

'This is ridiculous', she thought to herself. 'I have to get out of here.' She reached for her phone, scrolling through her phonebook. Hiro. He was a really good friend whom she had known since she was a little girl. Much more important, he had never made any advances toward her. They were strictly friends. She dialled.

"Hello?"  
"Hi, Hiro-chan. It's Shizuma."  
"Shizu-chan! How are you?"

"Fine…no, actually a bit confused and…I don't know. I have to get out of here for a while. Are you free tonight?"

"Yeah, I am. And I can't think of a better way to spend the evening than to rescue a good friend from her crazy thoughts."

Shizuma laughed. "That's really nice of you."  
"That's me. Mr. Nice. So, what are you up for? Dinner and a movie?"

"Sounds perfect."  
"Okay, I'll pick you up around six."  
"Thanks, Hiro."

Shizuma went into the bathroom. Bath or shower? Shower or bath? Considering her fantasies in the bathtub lately, a shower would be better. But Miyuki had been in the shower today…Pictures of the beautiful blue haired woman under the running water flowed through Shizuma's mind.

'Oh, what the…I'll shower', she decided.

Five minutes before Hiro was due to come by, she was ready to go and went downstairs to wait outside for her friend. Just as she left the building, a black Toyota FT-HS pulled up. Shizuma opened the passenger door and climbed in.

"Hi, Hiro-chan." She quickly kissed her friend on the cheek.

"Hey, it's great to see you, honey." He returned the kiss. "I reserved a table at the Cha Cha Hana."

"Oh, I love the Cha Cha Hana!"

"I know." Hiro smiled warmly. "So, what's been troubling you?"

"Can we talk about it when we get there? It might take a while to explain."

"Sure."  
"Tell me about yourself. How's your company going?"

"Oh, it's great. I'm making loads of money at the moment."  
"And how about the ladies?" Shizuma tossed Hiro a sly grin.

"Haven't found one that can tame me…how 'bout you?"

She sighed. "That's what my confusion is all about."

"God, I can't wait for the story. Good thing we're almost there."

Hiro quickly manoeuvred the car through Tokyo's Saturday evening traffic, parking behind the restaurant only minutes later. He climbed out of the car, opened the passenger's door and offered Shizuma his arm.

"My lady."

Smiling, she took the arm and allowed herself to be led into the restaurant and to the waiting table. After they had ordered, Hiro looked at his friend curiously.

"So, tell me."

"Do you remember my friend Miyuki?"  
"From Astrea? Yeah. She was student council…something, wasn't she?"

"President. And my roommate for most of the time there. Well, I'd lost sight of her after graduation and received a wedding announcement a little while ago."

"Wait. Didn't you tell me she was going to have an arranged marriage?"

"Yeah. It was. And neither she nor her husband were able to invite friends. Well, she doesn't live very far from me, so I decided to pay my regards and offer my congratulations." She paused as the waiter brought their order of wine.

"It…it wasn't my best friend Miyuki there in that house. She seemed…broken…caught…I don't know how to describe it. But it tore my heart out."

Hiro coughed. "I can imagine. I know several people in that position."

"Well, I gave her my phone number and we met a few days later, in a café and ended up going out that night. And last night…" Shizuma took a sip of wine.

"Last night…?" Hiro prompted.

"Last night she dropped by unexpectedly. And stayed overnight."  
"Am I right if I assume you didn't just reminisce in old times?"

"Yes, you are assuming correctly. We had sex. And it was amazing. I've never experienced anything like it before."

"And that coming from you…" Hiro mused.

The silver haired beauty smiled weakly. "Waking up beside her this morning felt so…natural, so…right. After she left to go home, my apartment seemed so empty."

The young man looked at her sternly. "That sounds quite serious, Shizu-chan."

"I know." She sighed. "I've always wanted someone I can be myself around…and I think that's Miyuki. But I've known her forever…and all those years at school nothing happened."

"I don't think you were ready for that experience when you were at school." Hiro stated.

"I guess you're right. But what am I supposed to do now?"

His answer was delayed by the waiter bringing their food. Hiro picked up his fork and tried his salmon before saying:" I can't tell you what you are supposed to do. I can only give you some advice. Think about your own feelings and be sure they're real before you tell Miyuki about them. And consider her position. If she ends up leaving her husband, she will probably be disowned by her family. She won't have a job, an education past school and no resources."

"But…"

"I know you could easily provide for both of you. Hell, you could support an entire family with the money your father gives you. But if you were in her position, would you want her to provide for you?"

Shizuma thought for a moment. "No. And I know she wouldn't want it. She wanted to go to college, have a career." She chewed thoughtfully for a while. "What would you do?"

"I would wait and see how everything develops. I wouldn't pressure her and leave her the decisions. She definitely has the higher risk."

"True…"

"I can imagine how you must feel. To finally find what you've been looking for and then face all these obstacles…" Hiro took his friend's hand.

The young woman smiled. "I'll take your advice and wait what happens. And I don't know if it's really all I want. It was only one night, after all."

Their conversation turned to business, Hiro telling about his firm and his associates. Shizuma listened, not fully concentrating, allowing her own thoughts to wander, until a name caught her attention.

"I'm sorry, what did you just say?"

"I said that I went to a club after a business meeting with some associates the other night. Ashikaga, Sumiyoshi, Inagawa and Toyotomi."

"Who's that Toyotomi?"

"He's a young guy, but he's already made himself a name in the business world, he's really successful. But I don't like him as a man. He's got a young wife, hasn't been married long, but he goes after every female he sees. His first name is Asuna, I think."

"Does he have mistresses?"

"Yeah, several. I mean, he's good-looking, can be charming, and he's successful. Many women like that. Why do you want to know?"

"Because he's Miyuki's husband."

Hiro swore. "That doesn't make it any better."

"That's true:" Shizuma sighed.

They finished their meal in silence.

"Do you still want to go to the movie or would you rather go to bar?"

"Let's just stay here and order another drink. Would that be okay?"

"Sure, whatever you want, honey." Hiro signalled the waiter and ordered the drinks. "How's college?"

"It's great." Shizuma launched into a long story of her classes, which developed into a discussion about her and Hiro's college experiences.

Much later, the friends left the bar.

"Can you drive after so much alcohol?" Shizuma asked.

"No. I'll leave my car here and take a cab. That'll be a long trip tomorrow to pick it up." Hiro grumbled.

"Just sleep at my place. I'll drive you here tomorrow and then you can go home."

"You've got yourself a deal, lady."


	8. or we can play it cool

Sitting in class, Shizuma felt her cell phone vibrate in her pocket. Carefully and slowly, she pulled it out and read the text message.

**Can I see you tonight? Miyuki**

Quickly, she typed an answer.

**Sure. Can you come over at 8?**

Impatiently waiting for an answer, Shizuma doodled in her notebook. Finally, her phone vibrated again.

**I'll be there.**

Smiling happily, the young woman stuffed the phone back in her pocket and tried hard to concentrate on her class.

Several classes and a study group later, Shizuma unlocked her door. It was already 7:45, the study group having taken much longer than she had expected. She considered calling Miyuki and asking her to come later, but decided against it. Miyuki would have already left her house.

Only ten minutes later, a soft knock came from the door. Shizuma opened the door and pulled Miyuki into a hug.

After their hello's and how are you's, Shizuma offered her friend a glass of wine before they moved to the couch and sat down.

"Shizuma…I've been thinking…I mean, I can't…"

The green eyed woman took Miyuki's hand. "What is it?"

Her friend took a deep breath. "I can't stop thinking about Friday night. I dream about you, I wake up and still feel your hands and lips on my body. And I've thought about what you said. I don't want my life to continue like it is." A pause.

"When I was with you, I felt alive again for the first time since leaving Astrea Hill." She turned to look at the other woman.

"And now I'm here to find out if you would…if you want…" Helplessly, she broke off.

"Now you want to know if we could continue this…affair or whatever it'll turn into?"

"Yes. What do you say?" A worried expression crept onto Miyuki's face.

Smiling, Shizuma took the wineglass out of Miyuki's hand and placed both glasses on the table. She leaned forward and softly kissed her friend…her lover.

"Yes. I want to be with you." She whispered when their lips parted.

Miyuki pulled her close, kissing her deeply. Hands began to roam, clothing slipped and shifted, until the brown eyed woman suddenly pulled back.

"Let's go to your incredibly sexy bedroom", she suggested quietly.

"Okay. But let me light the candles and the incense first. I'll get you in a minute."

Miyuki patiently sat on the sofa, until Shizuma came back and held out her hand.

"Come along, beautiful."

* * *

"It's wonderful, Hiro. We meet whenever we can manage. It's been going on for months. I don't think Asuna suspects anything."  
Shizuma and Hiro were walking through the park, each of them licking an enormous ice cream cone.

"I saw him two days ago. He said his marriage was going along fine and he hoped to get his wife pregnant soon. An hour later, he had some blond American woman hanging onto him."

"Do you think he sleeps with all of them?"

"I don't think so…He invited me to a dinner party at his house next Wednesday. I'm looking forward to meeting Miyuki."

"How about we go together? I've been invited, too."

"How come you were invited?"  
"I don't know. Asuna's secretary called a few days ago and asked me if I wanted to come, to keep Miyuki company, considering both of us have nothing to do with business."

"Well, I'd be honored to go with Tokyo's most beautiful woman."

"Hiro, you're going to make me blush."

* * *

The following Wednesday, Hiro came by Shizuma's place, dressed in a black tuxedo. He parked his car and entered the foyer, where Shizuma was waiting for him. He whistled when he saw her, dressed in a silver gray ball gown, with a corsage top, decorated with rhinestones, and a flowing skirt.

"You look gorgeous, honey."

"Thanks. You don't look bad yourself." She smiled.

"Let's go, we don't want to be late."

When they arrived at the Toyotomi villa, Daiki showed them to the drawing room.

Shizuma soon spotted Miyuki, greeting the guests, dressed in a peach sleeveless gown, with a v-neckline and a flowing skirt, gathered at the waist and held in place by a flower ornament. Around her upper arms was a stole, made from the same material as her dress.

Soon after their arrival, dinner was served. Shizuma found herself and Hiro sitting rather far from Asuna and his wife, those seats close by reserved for very important business partners. The meal seemed to go on forever, the waiters serving course after course. Shizuma suppressed a yawn, feeling extremely bored. Hiro was busily chatting left and right, acting as if he was having a great time.

Finally, Asuna stood, signalling the end of dinner.

"My dear guests! I hope you enjoyed your meal. I would like to invite you to our garden, where drinks will be served. You're welcome to come back to the drawing room later on, but please give the staff the chance to clear the tables."

Relieved, Shizuma pushed back her chair and followed the crowd into the beautifully landscaped garden. Benches and little clusters of chairs throughout the area invited people to sit and chat.

The silver haired woman wasn't interested in chatting with anyone but Miyuki. Impatiently, she waited for a chance to talk to her friend alone.

Hiro came over, sensing her frustration.

"Look. Miyuki's the lady of the house. I expect she'll be busy for a while. Let's get a drink and then you can join me on one of these nice benches, from where we can keep an inconspicuous eye on your lady." he said quietly.

"Okay." Shizuma grumbled.

Minutes later, she found herself sitting on a bench next to her friend, sipping a cosmopolitan, watching Miyuki.

"You know, I can understand what you see in her. She is gorgeous. But I can also understand what you meant when you said that she seems broken." Hiro said quietly.

Shizuma didn't answer, too distracted by keeping her eyes on her lover.

"I'm going over to her, I'm sick of waiting."

"Shizuma, wait!"

But the green eyed woman had already stood up and was walking toward Miyuki. Hiro sighed and followed her. Just as he reached her side, Asuna stepped in front of them.

"Miss Hanazono, Mister Chikamatsu. It's a pleasure to see you…together. Mr. Chikamatsu, I congratulate you to your beautiful companion."

"Thank you, Mr. Toyotomi. And thank you for inviting us to your home."

"Yes, thank you." Shizuma meekly added.

"Oh, don't mention it." Asuna chuckled. Taking Shizuma by the shoulder, he moved a few steps toward Miyuki. "My dear, why don't you go chat with Miyuki? She's been looking forward to seeing you."

"I'll do that." Hurrying away from the hand on her shoulder, Shizuma went over to her lover.

"Hello Miyuki."

"Shizuma! I'm glad you're here." A warm smile spread across the brown eyed woman's face.

"How are you?"

"I'm…fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

"When can I see you?" Shizuma asked quietly.

"I don't know. Maybe on the weekend."

A voice called Miyuki's name and she waved, causing her stole to slip. Shizuma gasped and grasped her lover's arm.

"Miyuki, where did those come from?" she asked sharply, indication the bruises on the other woman's upper arm.

"Oh, those…I…I hit my arm on a doorpost. It's nothing."

With a quick flick of her hand, Shizuma pulled down the stole on her lover's other arm, revealing matching bruises.

"How did you manage to run into a doorpost with both arms? Don't lie to me, Miyuki!"

Miyuki took Shizuma's hand and pulled her into the house.

"Miyuki, what happened?"

"Asuna came home late Monday night and wanted…wanted me. I didn't want to. I just couldn't, not after the weekend spent with you. He…grabbed me hard on the upper arms, shaking me and yelling that I would comply, that it was my duty as his wife and he wouldn't have a mere woman disobeying him. Then…then he took me."

"Good God, Miyuki!" Shocked, Shizuma pulled the other woman close to her, hoping that her trembling would stop.

"Can't you talk to someone? Your mother, maybe?"

"Oh, my mother came to visit me on Tuesday. Asuna had called her and told her that my behavior was becoming troublesome. She lectured me about how a woman must obey her husband and give him what he expects. When I showed her the bruises, she went on, telling me that I should be grateful he only bruised my arms."

"Miyuki, you have to get away from him."

"I can't, Shizuma. I just can't. My family would disown me, I have no proper education, couldn't find a job and I'd have no money."  
"Screw your family, they aren't doing you any good. I have enough room and money for both of us. Come live with me, Miyuki."

"I'll think about it. But leaving everything behind, cutting off all my ties…It's too scary at the moment. I cherish the time I spend with you. I'll bear life with Asuna some longer. Somehow, I'll manage."

* * *

"God, I feel so damn helpless!" Shizuma yelled as she and Hiro were driving home.

After admitting Asuna's abuse, Miyuki had gone back outside and avoided her lover for the rest of the evening.

"I can imagine. But there's really nothing you can do. If you call the police, it wouldn't make it any better for Miyuki."

"There has to be something we can do. He hurt her! And he raped her! There's no telling what he'll do next."

"He may not do anything else to her. Maybe it was a one-time experience. Let's hope so. All you can do is continue to be there for her."

Shizuma sighed. "You're probably right."


	9. Rainy nights

The following Saturday, Miyuki arrived at her lover's apartment in the early afternoon.

"How are your arms?" Shizuma asked after greeting her.

"They're better. The bruises are a nice shade of yellow."

"Miyuki, I'm worried. What if he does something like that again?"

"He won't. He promised not to hurt me again after our party on Wednesday."

"Let's hope he keeps his promise."  
"I think he will. And I think life will be a bit easier for me. I found out that he's definitely been unfaithful."

"Oh?"

"He admitted it. Then, we had a little chat and I told him I'd overlook the fact that he cheats if he leaves me alone when I don't want him. He was quite tame after that and also promised not to hurt me again."

"Okay." Shizuma still didn't seem convinced. "Where is he now? Another business trip?"

"No, he's out with some associates, probably looking for women. I told him I was meeting you and might not come home till tomorrow."

"And he was okay with that?"

"Yeah. He said he didn't want me out partying all night, since it wasn't the proper thing to do for a married woman. But he's okay with me meeting with a friend and staying overnight." Miyuki grinned. "He thinks you and Hiro are a couple."  
"I wonder how that idea got into his head."

"Well, good thing it's there. He doesn't see you as a single woman who could lead me astray anymore."

Shizuma laughed.

"If he only knew…" She softly kissed Miyuki.

* * *

Three days later, Shizuma phoned Amane. They hadn't had the chance to talk for a while, because Amane and Hikari had had a lot to do. Also, Amane had been training very hard for an important horse show, in which she and her team had been very successful.

"Hey, Shizuma! I'm so glad you called. How are things with you and Miyuki?"

"Well, her husband gave her pretty bad bruises on her arm. She wasn't compliant enough when he came home and wanted relief for his hard-on."

"Oh no! Did she go to the police?"

"No. Her mother fed her some crap about how a woman has to obey her husband and Miyuki could be thankful that she only got bruises on her arms. I told her to leave him, to come and live with me, but she says she can't. It's too big a step for her and she's scared."

"Hm, I can kind of understand her. Not that she puts up with his abuse, but the part about her being scared. I wonder what my family and Hikari's family will say when they find out that we're a couple."

"You'll be able to deal with that. And you know I'm always there for you and Hikari."

"Thanks. It's good to know that."

They talked a while longer about school and college, then hung up again.

* * *

Shizuma and Hiro were sitting in a bar, enjoying large, fanciful, fruity cocktails. Four weeks had gone by since Miyuki had been hurt by Asuna, without any other incident.

Shizuma and Hiro had joined the couple for dinner at various expensive restaurants. Asuna seemed very interested in doing business with Hiro's firm and seemed willing to spend quite some amount of money in order to reach his goal.

"You know, as much as I hate to admit it, you were right. Asuna's been treating Miyuki a lot better lately." Shizuma smiled.

"Well, I guess you should listen to me more often. But I'm glad things are going better for her. I really like Miyuki. And…she doesn't seem as broken as she used to. I bet that's thanks to you." Hiro took a sip from his cocktail. "By the way, your semester is almost over. Do you have any plans for your break?"

"Nothing definite. My dad said I could work in his company if I didn't have anything else to do. He wants me to learn everything there is before I take over the Hanazono corporation. But considering that I grew up breathing and eating business, there's not all that much to learn. Anyway, my dad won't retire when I'm done with college, so he'll have a lot of time to teach me. Why?"

"I was wondering if you'd be interested in working for me. You'd be in the office for a couple of days a week and you could accompany my firm's lawyer."

"Hiro, I'd love to! Thanks! That's a wonderful offer!" Shizuma beamed at her friend.

"Great. I'd hoped you would do it."

A few hours later, Shizuma returned home and crawled into her bed. She was looking forward to seeing Miyuki the next day. Her lover would come over and then, they would see how the day would continue.

Punctually at 11, Miyuki came, wearing a pair of sunglasses.

"Hey, beautiful." Shizuma kissed her lover. "What's with the sunglasses? It's not really all that bright in my hallway."

Without a word, Miyuki removed her shades, revealing a black eye.

"Oh my god! What happened?"

"Asuna happened." Miyuki said quietly. "He came home drunk and frustrated."

Shizuma hugged her tightly.

"Will you stay here?" she asked quietly.

"Not right away. I have to take care of some things, then I promise I'll come."

"What do you have to take care of that you couldn't do here?"  
"I need to get my grandmother's jewellery out of the safe at home. It's the only valuable property I own. And I want to pack my things, make sure I have everything…and I have some appointments I need to go to. Asuna knows about them. I can't leave him before that, he could find me too easily."

"I understand that, but…I'm so worried about you! I don't want to let you go back to that man."  
"I'll be okay, Shizuma. And in a few days, I'll be here to stay, I promise."  
"What kind of appointments do you have?"

"A doctor's appointment tomorrow because I've been so tired lately, a luncheon with some wives of business associates and a dentist's appointment."

Shizuma bit her lip. "Okay, but you'll come here after that?"

"Yes, I will."

Miyuki stayed until the evening, then went home.

Shizuma spent the evening watching TV and worrying about her lover, hoping that Asuna wouldn't hurt her again. Miyuki had to get out of there, as quickly as possible. She went to bed late and slept fitfully, waking every few hours, from various nightmares.

The next day, she was totally beat, not concentrating on her classes. She decided to ditch her study groups and go right home. Hiro had promised to come over and keep her company.

* * *

The two friends had just eaten their first piece of pizza when Shizuma's telephone rang.

"Hello?"

"Shizuma, it's me."  
"Miyuki! Hi! I…"  
Miyuki interrupted her. "Shizuma, I can't come and live with you. I went to the doctor's today, Asuna came with me. I'm pregnant. There's no way Asuna will let me leave now. I'm so sorry." She hung up.

Speechlessly, Shizuma stared at the telephone receiver in her hand.

"What is it?" Hiro asked.

Slowly, his friend turned her head to look at him.

"Miyuki's not coming to live with me. She went to her doctor's today, with Asuna. She's pregnant."


	10. Without you

Shizuma lay on her bed, crying her eyes out. All her hopes and fantasies of a life with Miyuki had been crushed instantly with that phone call. Miyuki was right, Asuna would never let her leave. He was desperate for children. Maybe he would let his wife go after the child was born, but she could only leave alone, without her child. Miyuki had confessed to Shizuma that she was looking forward to having children, that they were the only advantage of being with a man. It would break her heart twice over to leave her child behind. She'd simply never do it.

'God, why was I so stupid?' Shizuma thought to herself. Why hadn't she seen back at school that Miyuki was the right girl for her, her soul mate, her…love. Well, if she was honest with herself, she knew the answer.

During their first years at , Miyuki had been unbelievable shy and timid, and had needed Shizuma to take care of her. She had been cute and sweet, but not terribly attractive.

By the time Miyuki had caught herself and had become the assured, poised young woman who went on to become student council president, Shizuma had made a name for herself as the 'player of Astrea'. Miyuki had strongly disapproved.

Then, Kaori had come into their lives. Maybe that would have been a chance for Miyuki's happiness, but Kaori had fallen for Shizuma from the start. And both older girls had fallen for Kaori.

Miyuki had helped them become Etoile, had stood by her friends and supported their happiness, pushing her own feeling aside.

And after Kaori's death…Shizuma had simply been a shell, functioning, without emotions, not perceiving anything in the world. The first few months, she had been a complete zombie. She had eaten when she'd been told to, had slept when she'd been put to bed, had sat in the classes, had taken care of her Etoile duties like a robot. Without Miyuki, she would never have made it. It was hard to imagine what her friend had felt through all of it. Well, maybe Shizuma's suffering now came close.

Miyuki was also the reason Shizuma had come out of her funk. One night, the Etoile had woken to find the other bed in their shared room empty. She had gotten up and walked over to the open bathroom door, where she heard Miyuki crying.

"God or whoever, please, please, please help me! I can't take it anymore! I love Shizuma with all my heart! I can't stand her suffering anymore, it's tearing me apart." Her sobbing continued.

"I…I loved Kaori, too. And I miss her so very much. I can understand how Shizuma feels. But…but why…why can't she see that there are still other people here who care about her?"

Shizuma had quietly tiptoed back to her bed. She had spent the next hours frantically thinking. Miyuki was right, she had finally decided. There were people who cared about her. And Kaori would have never wanted her to suffer, nor to cause Miyuki so much pain.

From that day on, Shizuma had tried very hard to live again. And she had started picking up girls, trying to fill the void that Kaori's death had left in her life. Miyuki had always been there, but…well, Shizuma had never honestly considered her best friend as a love candidate. Their friendship had been very deep, and Shizuma had been afraid that some romantic fling might corrode it.

And then, Nagisa had come along…and the rest was history. Shizuma and Nagisa had been a couple for a few months, until Nagisa realized that her feelings for Tamao were stronger. The young red haired girl broke up with Shizuma shortly before graduation. The silver haired woman had been crushed. Once again, Miyuki had been there to catch her, to comfort her, even though she had been dealing with the fact that her own wedding was coming up.

Shizuma sobbed. She picked up the photo lying next to her pillow. Hiro had taken it a few weeks ago, when the two women had gone to the beach with him. Miyuki looked so happy in that picture. Shizuma studied the familiar face, saw the smile and the sparkling eyes. She loved Miyuki. But she hadn't told her lover. They hadn't talked about feelings, or the future, or anything that would add weight to the light and easy relationship they shared. Maybe she should have told her. Maybe that would have been the security Miyuki needed to step away from her family, her wealth, and everything she'd known all her life. Maybe she would have come to live with Shizuma sooner…and maybe they could have kept the pregnancy a secret from Asuna and Miyuki's family.

But it was too late now. Shizuma's tears continued to fall as she wondered why love never came easy for her. And why it couldn't last. Kaori had died, Nagisa had chosen Tamao over her, and now Miyuki was lost to her simply because she had waited too long.

"I'm so sorry, Miyuki. I caused you so much pain…if I hadn't been too blind to see, maybe you wouldn't have married that idiot. I feel so awful that you're suffering because of my mistakes." she told the picture in a low voice.

Still wondering if there was anything left to do to minimize the damage, she finally fell into an exhausted sleep.


	11. The coldest days

"It's so frustrating! She won't call, she's not answering my text messages…I simply can't reach her. I've tried to call on her landline, but I only got that butler on the phone, who told me the lady was unavailable." Shizuma ran her hand through her long, silver hair, messing it up completely, as she talked to Amane on the phone. Hiro, who was sitting on her sofa, listened silently, having heard the story an average 1000 times over the last three weeks which had passed since Miyuki had told Shizuma of her pregnancy.

"Well, she's probably just as shocked as you are. I mean, she'd just decided to leave Asuna and live with the consequences, which was a really big step for her. And then, everything dissolved in a matter of hours. I believe this is difficult and frustrating for you, but it must be much, much worse for Miyuki."

"I know, I know. That's what Hiro keeps telling me." Shizuma grumbled, throwing an exasperated look at her friend.

Hiro grinned and silently mouthed "I told you so."

"I know it's really difficult for her…I'd just hoped that we could somehow stay in contact. If she doesn't want to be lovers, that's fine, but to toss me out of her life completely…I just don't want to lose her again."

"Give her some time. She needs to get used to the new situation. Maybe she'll come around when she's sorted her feelings and options. I can understand that she needs some time for herself. You should respect that." Amane said quietly. "And if she decides to go on without you, you'll have to accept it eventually. Maybe it's too painful for her to see what she almost had…"

"I know you're right, but I really don't want to hear that, Amane."

"Sorry."

"There's no need to apologize. I just have to face the truth- all the possible truths at this point. Listen, I've got to go. Hiro's here, we want to celebrate the end of my semester and the good results I miraculously achieved."

"Oh, congratulations! Have fun celebrating!"

"We will. Take care and say hello to Hikari!"

"I will. Bye!"

Shizuma put the phone down and turned to face Hiro.

"Just don't say a word. I don't want to think about it any more tonight, okay?"

"Sure, honey." Hiro said soothingly. "How about you come over here and have a glass of this heavenly champagne I brought?"

Shizuma moved over to the couch and sat down, accepting the glass Hiro offered her.

"Here's to your first step of becoming a successful lawyer!" Hiro toasted, holding up his glass. "I'm proud of you. I never thought that my sandbox-friend Shizuma was going to study law one day." He chuckled warmly.

"And I never thought my sandbox-friend Hiro would have his own successful company by the time I graduate from school. I'm proud of you, too."

"Well, honey, those 4 years that I'm older than you really were an advantage."

"Yeah, but establishing a firm while still in college really was an achievement."

Hiro blushed. "Okay…well…maybe."

A knock sounded at the door.

Puzzled, Shizuma looked in the direction of her hallway. "Who's that? There are not many people the doorman will let up here without calling to announce them first."

She stood up to open the door and found herself face to face with Miyuki. Miyuki, who had another black eye, whose face was streaked with tears, who was favoring her right leg and holding her right arm. Her clothing was dishevelled.

Shizuma only stood and stared.

"Shizuma? What is it?" Hiro came to the door.

"Good grief, Miyuki! What happened to you?" Reaching past Shizuma, he pulled the young woman into the apartment.

"Asuna…he…he…threw me out of the house….we…had a fight…and…and he…beat me…then pushed me away…and…and I fell…down the stairs…He said he never wants to see me again."

"He pushed his pregnant wife down the stairs?" Shizuma whispered, rage flashing in her eyes.

"Miyuki, we have to get you to a doctor." Hiro stated.

"No…no. I don't want to go. They'll want to know my name and what happened and I…I can't face that." the young woman sobbed.

"I can understand that, but you have to see a doctor." Hiro repeated.

"I'll call my family's physician. She has a private practice and won't ask questions." Shizuma disappeared to make the phone call, returning only minutes later.

"It's all set. Let's go."

Twenty minutes later, the three entered the practice. Dr. Kobayashi was already waiting for them.

"You made good time, Miss Hanazono." The doctor greeted her patient and her friends. "So, what happened to your friend?"

"She…she had an accident." Shizuma said haltingly.

"I fell down the stairs." Miyuki said.

Dr. Kobayashi looked hard at her. "I see. And I guess you banged your eye while falling?"

"Something like that", the blue haired woman mumbled.

"Well, some bruises, some hematomas…shouldn't be anything more serious", the doctor stated, scrutinizing Miyuki.

"We're actually here because she's pregnant." Hiro said.

"Pregnant? Okay, my dear, we'll check you through…" The older woman threw an exasperated look at Shizuma and Hiro. "You couldn't have mentioned that earlier, could you?" she asked the two.

"Can…can Shizuma stay with me?" Miyuki asked meekly.

"Yes, of course. But come on." The doctor led the way into her surgery.

After Miyuki had stripped down to her bra and underwear, Dr. Kobayashi examined her carefully.

"Okay, from the outside you look a bit bruised and battered, but that's not too bad. Now let's check on your baby." She looked pointedly at Miyuki's already noticeable belly.

The young woman lay down on the narrow bed.

"How far along are you?"

"13 weeks." She turned toward Shizuma. "Can you come here?"

Shizuma rushed over to her lover, grabbing her hand.

"I'm so scared that something's wrong…" Miyuki whispered.

"I'm here." Shizuma answered softly.

Dr. Kobayashi spread some gel over Miyuki's belly and turned on her ultrasound machine. "Only one way to find out." she said, looking at her patient.

She began her examination, looking closely at the screen, not saying a word.

Miyuki's grip on Shizuma's hands tightened as the seconds stretched into minutes, which felt like hours.

Finally, Dr. Kobayashi turned the screen to allow Shizuma and Miyuki to see the picture.

"Everything's okay. Here, see that pulsing over here?" She pointed to a spot on the screen. "That's the heartbeat."

Shizuma watched the screen with awe. "Isn't it a bit fast?"

"No, that's perfectly normal. Babies have a faster heartbeat."

She allowed the two women to look at the screen a while longer.

"Well, Miss…"she gazed questioningly at Miyuki.

"Just call me Miyuki."

"Miss Miyuki, everything seems to be perfectly okay with your baby. You were really lucky. Stay away from those stairs, okay?"

"Thank you, Dr. Kobayashi." Miyuki shook the doctor's hand, then went to get dressed.

"Thank you." Shizuma turned to her doctor. "Send the bill to my address, will you? I'll take care of it."

"No problem….Can I talk to you for a moment?"

"Sure."

Shizuma followed the doctor out of the surgery.

"I know that story about the accident was crap. Take care of her. She was really lucky this time. Doesn't mean she'll be lucky again."

"I know. And I will take care of her. Thanks for your discretion, doctor."

Miyuki exited the surgery, fully dressed.

"Are you ready to go?" Shizuma asked, taking her hand.

"Yes. Thank you, Dr. Kobayashi."

"Don't mention it. Good night!"

Hiro, Shizuma and Miyuki drove back to Shizuma's home in silence. In the living room, Hiro asked: "And now?"

"I'm not going back to Asuna." Miyuki said forcefully.

"What exactly happened?" Hiro wanted to know.

"Well, Asuna told me that he was certain that I cheated on him, because I hadn't been out since finding out that I was pregnant. He was sure that I'd cheated before that and that it wasn't his baby. While yelling, he hit me. Then he said that he wasn't planning to raise some bastard and that he never wanted to see me again and pushed me."

Shizuma exhaled loudly. "You should press charges against him."

"No, I don't want anything to do with him anymore."

"You'll have to deal with him when you go through with the divorce. If you don't divorce him, he'll never be out of your life completely."  
"I know. But I don't want to go through another lawsuit. I just want to get rid of him."

"We'll manage", Shizuma said quietly, slipping an arm around Miyuki. "I'll be there. For both of you." She smiled as she laid one hand on Miyuki's belly.


	12. It takes two or maybe more

That settled, Hiro stood up and stretched.

"Well, ladies, if all's as well as it can be for right now, I beg you to excuse me. I have an important business meeting in the morning." He checked his watch. "Actually in 5 hours. So I'd like to go home and at least try to catch some snoozes before heading out again."

"Okay, Hiro. Thanks for everything." Miyuki gratefully looked up into the young man's face.

"No problem, glad to help. And Shiz…" He waited until he had the silver haired woman's attention. "You're excused from work the next couple of days. Call me when you two have sorted things out, okay?"

"Thanks, Hiro. I'll definitely call you."

After Hiro had left, Shizuma and Miyuki decided to go to bed. As they lay in the black and red bedroom, with just one candle providing a flickering light, Shizuma studied Miyuki, now finally beginning to grasp the new situation: Miyuki, here with her, to stay. And a baby coming.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Miyuki softly asked.

"I'm just astonished how life can take so many twists and turns in such a short time." Realizing that this was only part of her musing, she added: "And it's becoming clear to me just how desperately I love you…and have loved you."

Miyuki just looked at her for a felt eternity.

The silver haired woman swallowed, hard. Now she'd said it. What had been kept carefully hidden was now in the open. How would her lover deal with it?

"How long?" Miyuki whispered.

The other woman sighed. "I'm not sure, to tell the truth. In a way, from the start. From the time I found you crying in the hallway. But…I don't know…it…didn't seem right at the time." Slowly, Shizuma explored her own emotions that had been subconscious for so long. "You needed me to comfort you, to be there. It wouldn't have worked. I was so young at the time, I wanted to play around. And I never wanted to play with you or your feelings." She paused.

"Then, I had my reputation for playing around, first taunting the older girls, then later focusing on the younger ones. And you were so disapproving…"

"I know. I was violently jealous."

Shizuma smiled. "And then, Kaori came along. After she died, I…you know how I was. And you caught me, helped me up again, took care of me, even though you suffered, too."

"I mainly suffered because you were so…hurt, so bruised, so…dead."

"I know. I heard you crying in the bathroom one night. I tried to pull myself out of my funk after that, to spare you. When I met Nagisa, I…I could feel again. Well, you know how it was. I couldn't have been with you. You were so closely connected to Kaori for me. And at that point, I was afraid to risk our friendship. What if it hadn't worked out? I didn't want to lose you." Shizuma took a deep breath.

"And now, you're here. And I'm…well, I'm totally happy that you're here, but I feel so awful that you had to suffer…and I feel responsible. If I had been more aware of my feelings, then maybe…maybe you wouldn't have gotten married…and wouldn't have…been hurt."

Miyuki sighed, biting her lip, contemplating what to say and how to phrase it.

"Shizuma, I'm not sure a romance with you during school would have been enough to make me stand up to my parents. I grew up being told that I would marry Asuna. It's been planned since the day I was born. I probably would have gone along with my parents' wishes and we would have been lost to each other."

She sighed. "Seeing you when you first came to visit Asuna and me was hard. I felt so ashamed for allowing my parents to marry me off. I knew you'd never have submitted to anything like it. I felt so weak, so manipulable. You were always strong and proud…I wanted so much to be like you when we first met." Miyuki gave a little laugh. "Well, nearly all the girls on Astrea Hill wanted to be like you. What I'm trying to say, if we had been a couple back at school, I definitely wouldn't have been able to face you after my wedding. So, badly as everything went in my marriage, I'm kind of glad that it developed that way. Especially that I'm here now…with you."

She smiled warmly at the green eyed woman. "If everything bad that happened in my life is the price for now being able to be with you, then it's more than worth it."

Shizuma choked up. "I…I don't know what to say…" she whispered.

"Then just kiss me." Miyuki pulled her down for a deep, soul-searching kiss.

* * *

Shizuma woke rather late the next morning. Silently cursing so she wouldn't wake Miyuki, she quietly slipped out of bed and reached for her telephone. Dialling, she left the bedroom just as quietly.

"Hello?"

"Hey daddy!"

"Shizu-chan! It's wonderful to hear your voice!"

Shizuma chuckled. "Oh daddy, don't exaggerate."  
"I'm dead serious, love. Tell me, what can I do for you?"

"I know this is a little short-notice, but can you meet me for lunch? I need to talk to you."

"Let me check my calendar." He paused. "Yes, I can make it. The bistro across the street?"

"As always, daddy. I'll be there at 12:30."

She hung up, smiling, then yelped when she checked her watch. She'd have to hurry to make it on time.

After a quick shower, she quietly opened the bedroom door, to reveal Miyuki, still sleeping soundly. Should she wake her or let her sleep? Well, waking up alone probably wouldn't be the best thing after what happened to her, she decided. Wrapped in her towel, she made her way over to the bed. Softly, she stroked a finger across her love's cheek, waiting for those deep, brown eyes to flutter open.

"Good morning, angel." Shizuma smiled.

"Good morning." Miyuki replied sleepily. "Why are you up?"

"I decided I should go and meet daddy. I need his advice and I figure he might be able to help us. But I didn't want you to wake up alone and only find a note."  
"You're sweet. Do you mind if I just stay in bed a little longer? I'm really worn out."

"Sleep as long as you want. I'll be back as soon as I can." She kissed Miyuki softly, then stood up and viewed the choice of clothing her armoire held. She finally settled on a pair of black pants and an emerald sweater. Neither too fancy nor too casual and warm enough for the October chill in the air.

Looking back at the bed, she saw that Miyuki was already asleep again. Glancing at her with a love-filled gaze, Shizuma left the room and hurried to meet her father.

* * *

As Shizuma stormed into the bistro, she already spotted Masahiro Hanazono sitting at his favorite table in the far corner. She veered towards him, almost crashing into a waiter, then tripping over a potted plant to avoid dousing herself with hot coffee. The waiter took it all in stride, apologizing profusely, while carefully transferring the tray onto his other hand, safely out of Shizuma's range, and reaching out with his other hand to help her up.

With slightly pink cheeks, the silver haired beauty thanked the young man, flashing him a grateful smile that left him momentarily blinded.

As she finally reached the table, she found Masahiro wiping tears of glee from his eyes, still laughing.

"Shizu-chan, you and that young man could make that into a nice circus routine." He looked fondly at his daughter. "And you still can't be on time. I guess some things never change."

Shizuma embraced her father, smiling sheepishly. "Hi daddy. I'm sorry. I got caught in traffic. But I almost made it."

The older man looked at his watch. "True. You've gotten better." He guided his daughter to the chair across from him, then sat down again.

"I took the liberty to order some wine. Is that okay?"  
"Sure. You know what I enjoy drinking."

Both picked up their menus and selected a meal. A few minutes later, the waiter brought the wine and took their order for lunch.

"So, love, what do you want to talk to me about? Don't you want to work for Hiro after all?"

"Oh no, that's still going along as planned, even though I'll start next week instead of this week." Shizuma paused, picking up her wineglass. "No, I wanted to tell you…well…in roughly 7 months, I'm going to be a mommy."

Masahiro gaped at her for a second. Gathering his wits quickly, he said:" Well, then you definitely shouldn't be drinking that." He reached across the table and snatched his daughter's wineglass out of her hand.

The young woman stared at her empty hand, dumbfounded.

"What?" she finally asked, looking at Masahiro. Then, realization trickled through her brain. "Oh! No, I'm not the one who's pregnant." She plucked the glass back out of her father's hand.

"No? Then who is, and why are you becoming a mommy?"

Shizuma launched into a long story, beginning with Miyuki's wedding announcement, including her own feelings for the blue-haired woman, and finally ending with the incidents from last night.

By then, their food had arrived, but Masahiro was way too absorbed in his daughter's story to notice the club sandwich sitting in front of him, patiently waiting.

"That's quite some story", he said, rubbing his brow when Shizuma had finished.

"So now Miyuki's back at your place. Her husband never wants to see her again. Her family will probably believe Asuna's story about Miyuki cheating on him, which is technically correct, and the baby not being his child, which is definitely not correct. They will very likely disown her and she'll have nothing. And the two of you are very much in love and want to stay together and raise the baby."

"Yeah, that about sums it up." The young woman said, turning her attention toward the large chef's salad standing in front of her.

Masahiro picked up his sandwich and took a big bite while thinking.

"So you'll probably have to move." he said when he had swallowed.

"I guess…I hadn't thought about that yet, but we would need another room for the baby."

"If this isn't about moving and finding a new apartment quickly, then for what do you need my advice?"

"Well, I just wanted to see if you had advice for me on this whole subject. And if you might know a good lawyer who can help Miyuki with her divorce. But I wouldn't say no to help in finding a new home."

"I'll help you, don't worry. Let's start at the beginning and find an apartment. I'll check out the market after lunch and send you some suggestions via e-mail. Then you can go check them out. And when Miyuki's divorce comes up, we'll find her the best lawyers."

Finishing his sandwich, he looked at his daughter, an amused twinkle in his eye.  
"What is it?" Shizuma asked.

"You and Miyuki…never would have though that would happen. But I'm glad. I always liked Miyuki. And my daughter becoming a second mommy…let's hope the child has good guardian angels."

"Daddy!" The young woman slapped her father's arm.

"I'm sure you'll do fine. But it's a big job you've got ahead of you."

"I know. But Miyuki loves me and I love her. We'll manage."


	13. Up to me and you

Shizuma unlocked the door, entered her apartment, and dropped her purse on the floor.

"Miyuki?" she called.

"I'm here!" The kitchen door opened and out came Miyuki, her face flushed, her hands covered with flour.

"Oh, you're back already."

"Yeah. Are you playing in the kitchen?"

"I'm making cookies…just a little thank-you. I know that taking in a pregnant woman is not the easiest in thing in the world."

"But I love you, angel."

"I know. And I love you. But letting me live here means interfering with your life. I'm really happy to be here. I love this apartment."

"Well, I hope you don't love it too much."

"Why? Are you jealous?" Miyuki laughed.

"No, but we'll have to move. We can't exactly stick the baby in the hallway."

"That's true. I hadn't thought of it."  
"I hadn't either. But my dad pointed it out today. He sends his regards, by the way."

"Thanks. Be sure to say hello to him when you talk to him."  
"I will. He was really happy to hear that we're together now. Seems he's always liked you very much."

"That's really wonderful. I like him, too."  
Miyuki sniffed the air. "Oh, the cookies!" She disappeared into the kitchen.

Smiling, Shizuma went into the bedroom to change into something more comfortable, then joined her love in the kitchen. Wrapping her arms around the other woman, she peered over Miyuki's shoulder at the cookies cooling.

"What kind of cookies are these?"

"Well, I like to call them Chocolate Galore." Miyuki didn't look up from placing the next pieces of dough on another cookie sheet.

"Sounds excellent." Shizuma purred, trying to sneak a hand past the blue haired woman's gaze to steal one of the sweet delicacies.

Deftly, Miyuki swatted her wrist. "Don't! You'll have to wait until they've cooled."

"Ouch!" The silver haired woman pouted.

"Oh, do I have to kiss and make it better?"

"I don't know if a kiss on the hand will suffice."

"Ohhhh, you poor little thing!" Miyuki turned, with a teasing smile on her face, and kissed her love thoroughly.

When the green eyed woman had caught her breath again, she held out her hand.

"Could you slap me on the wrist again? I'd love to have another kiss like that."

"You know, I'll just kiss you without hitting you first."

Their lips tenderly met and remained joined for quite a while.

"So we'll go looking for a new home some time soon." Miyuki stated, some time later.

Shizuma nodded. "My dad said he'd send some suggestions."

"It's going to be great…finding a home for us, furnishing it, moving in, living with you."

"I'm looking forward to it, too. But it's a pity about the bathroom." Shizuma said wistfully.

* * *

Shizuma walked into Hiro's office, yawning.

Her friend spotted her and started laughing. "Someone didn't get a lot of sleep. You look like you're in desperate need of coffee." He walked over to the high-tech coffee machine. "Is a cappuccino okay?"

The young woman looked at him through bleary eyes. "Have caffeine, will drink."

Hiro gulped. "I better make that a double."

A few moments later, he shoved a tall glass filled with steaming liquid into Shizuma's hands. Gratefully, she swallowed the strong coffee.

"That's better." She took another sip. "I don't know if it's being away from Asuna, or our new relationship or maybe being pregnant, but Miyuki is insatiable."

Hiro smiled. "Doesn't sound bad from where I'm standing. And you haven't broached the subject because…?"

"Well, I'm not exactly unhappy with the situation. I'm just so tired in the mornings…Miyuki turns over when I get out of bed and sleeps another 3 hours."

She quickly finished her coffee. "So, what's up today?"

"Well, first I've put some files on your desk that I'd like you to look through and later, you're scheduled to go to court with Takahashi."  
"Cool. I'll call him later to talk about the case."

"Do that."  
Shizuma went over to her desk, beginning to read the files stacked on her desk.

* * *

Nine weeks later, in the first week of December, they had moved into their new apartment, just three houses away from Shizuma's last home. It stretched over two stories, the kitchen, a small bathroom with a shower, the living room and an office on the first floor, and three bedrooms and a full bathroom on the second floor. The living room led onto a large balcony.

The two young women sat on the couch, viewing their big, comfortable living room with an air of satisfaction.

"You know, I still can't believe Asuna managed to get our marriage annulled." Miyuki mused, leaning on Shizuma's shoulder, her hands draped across her belly.

"I know, it's amazing. Makes life a lot easier. Mr. Takahashi said it's the best thing that could have happened."

They sat in silence, enjoying the fact that their problems were minimized, that they were in love and finally together.

Miyuki reached over, took one of Shizuma's hands and guided it to her belly.

"Can you feel that?" She asked quietly.

There it was. A small push against her hand.

"Wow! That's the first time I've ever felt our baby move!" Shizuma was excited.

"And that's the first time you've ever said 'our baby'." Miyuki said happily.

Shizuma smiled, feeling the baby move again.

* * *

"I can't believe you don't want to know if it's a girl or a boy." Shizuma negotiated traffic on the way back to their apartment after Miyuki's check-up at the doctor's.

"I want to be surprised. And I don't want everything in pink or blue. I'd rather have neutral colors."  
"You could do neutral colors if you know it's a boy."

"I know…but I want to be surprised."

"Okay…so would you like a girl or a boy?"

"I don't care, as long as it's healthy. And it is."

"But, Miyuki, I'm soooooo curious!" the silver haired woman whined.

"My jewel, you'll have to wait until April 28."

Shizuma sighed. "Do you have any idea how far away that is?"

She drove into the parking garage and pulled into her parking space. The two women made their way toward the elevator, went up to the seventh floor, and entered their apartment.

"Oh, there's a phone message." Miyuki went over to the answering machine and pressed the button. Amane's voice filled the living room.

"Hi Shizuma, hi Miyuki! I know this is really short-notice, but I would like to invite you to the winter ball. It's in two weeks, on December 20. It would be wonderful if you could be there. Call me back soon, okay?"

A loud _beeeeeep_ followed the message.

"The Astrea winter ball." Shizuma grinned. "That brings back memories."

"Yes, it does." A similar grin stretched across Miyuki's face.

"Do you want to go, angel?"

"I'd love to. How about you?"

"Me, too. And we could sleep at the summer home, then we don't have the long drive home."

"Then I'll call Amane back right away." Shizuma reached for the phone.

* * *

The afternoon of the 20. of December found Miyuki and Shizuma on the freeway, dressed in jeans and sweatshirts. They had arranged the possibility to change at the dorms, so their dresses wouldn't get wrinkled. It had taken forever to find a dress for Miyuki, the young woman complaining that she felt and looked like a balloon in everything she tried on. Finally, Shizuma had steered her away from the maternity sections of the stores, looking for and finding a normal ball gown, gathered just below the breasts.

When they pulled into a parking space in front of the dorms, Amane and Hikari were already waiting for them.

"Hi, Miyuki, hi, Shizuma!" Amane greeted her friends warmly.

The two women returned the greeting, also including Hikari.

"Get your stuff and come to our room, then we can change." Amane grabbed Miyuki's bag and led the way.

Shizuma and Miyuki followed Amane and Hikari.

"Hasn't changed much, has it?" the former Etoile asked quietly as they walked through the halls.

"No, it hasn't." Miyuki answered, looking around.

"Well, you haven't been gone all that long." Amane said as she unlocked the door.

The four girls got ready for the ball, chatting about school, university, their relationships and Miyuki's pregnancy and continued their conversation while walking toward the dance hall.

"By the way, congratulations on being elected Etoile a second time." Shizuma said to the Spica students.

"Thank you. We only won because Tamao-chan and Nagisa-chan didn't run. Tamao-chan is much too busy as school council president." Hikari said.

"I don't believe that. I think you would have had a chance if those two had run. You did a really great job last year." Miyuki protested.

"Maybe…thank you for your confidence, Miyuki." Amane smiled warmly.

They entered the dance hall.

"Please excuse us, we have to go and get ready for the opening dance." Amane was already pulling Hikari toward the stage.

Shizuma and Miyuki found themselves standing in the middle of the room, which was slowly filling up with students.

"This really brings back memories." Miyuki whispered.

Shizuma nodded, pulling her girlfriend close for a hug. "I know, and not all of them are good. But I'm happy that we'll be adding another one tonight."

A few minutes later, the opening dance was announced and the two women found themselves jockeying for a good position in the mob of girls surrounding them.

Amane and Hikari strode across the dance floor, holding each other's hands. As they reached the middle of the room, Amane stopped, spinning Hikari into her waiting arms. The music began and they moved, confidently, gracefully, seemingly enjoying the limelight.

"They've come a long way, especially Hikari." Miyuki whispered into her girlfriend's ear.

"Yeah, they're really good for each other, I think." Shizuma didn't turn her gaze from the couple.

When the music had ended, the crowd of girls slowly dissolved, some gathering to dance, others going to the buffet or over to the sides of the room to chat with friends.

"Miyuki-chan!" Chikaru ran over to the two women. "And Shizuma-chan! Amane said you would be coming. It's wonderful to see you!" She turned toward Shizuma. "Do you mind if I borrow Miyuki? Shion and some other council members are over on the other side of the room and I'm sure they'd love to have a chat."  
"No, go ahead, I'll be fine."

Miyuki threw her girlfriend a quick loving smile as Chikaru dragged her off.

She enjoyed the atmosphere of the dance a while longer.

"Shi…Shizuma-sama?" A disbelieving, familiar voice said behind her back.

"Hello, Nagisa-chan." she replied, then turned to look at her former gilrfriend.

"What are you doing here?"

Shizuma carefully looked Nagisa over before answering. She had grown a little bit and her hair had gotten longer. She still was really cute and pretty.

"Amane invited me. How are you, Nagisa? How's Tamao?"  
"I'm fine…so is Tamao. We're really happy together." The young girl blushed.

Shizuma smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. I always wanted you to be happy, Nagisa. And I know I wasn't the right one for you in the end."

"But you weren't happy when I broke up with you because I wanted to be with Tamao-chan."

The silver haired woman laughed. "Well, being dumped isn't something I'm used to. And it's not something I want to get used to. But in the end, it was the right thing to do, Nagisa." She paused. "Would you give me a dance?"

"Hai…I would like that." Nagisa blushed, as Shizuma reached for her hand and led her onto the dance floor.

Moving into the dancing position still came naturally to the two women. Shizuma smiled, while Nagisa's blush deepened. The music started, a slow waltz flowing through the room. The very same music to which Nagisa had been taught to dance. With Shizuma.

They began to move, their bodies gliding across the room.

"You've greatly improved." Shizuma said after a few minutes.

"Thank you." Nagisa smiled, slowly beginning to relax. "How are you, Shizuma-sama?"

"I'm fine. University is great and I really enjoy law. And I'm in love." She smiled.

"That's wonderful. Who is it? Someone you met in college?"

"No. Actually, you know her."  
"Really? Who?" Nagisa's eyes were sparkling with curiosity.

"It's Miyuki. She and her husband aren't married anymore and we're living together."

"Is she here?"

"Yeah. Chikaru kidnapped her a little while ago, to talk to some council members."

"Maybe I'll see her later."  
"you probably will. She's pregnant."  
"Wow." Nagisa was impressed.

The music ended. Shizuma dipped Nagisa back, supporting her gently. A smattering of applause sounded.

Shizuma raised an eyebrow. "It's good to know we still have it."

A finger tapped the silver haired woman's shoulder.

"Can I please have my girlfriend back?"

"Sure, Tamao-chan." Shizuma smiled and offered Tamao Nagisa's hand.

She and Tamao proceeded to have a similar conversation to the one Nagisa and Shizuma had shared during the dance. When Miyuki joined them, the conversation turned to the baby, their current way of living, their future plans.

* * *

In the early morning hours, Shizuma and Miyuki reached the Hanazono summer home.

"I really had a great time." Muyki said, yawning.

"Me, too. And it's wonderful that I made up with Nagisa and Tamao."

They climbed the stairs toward the bedroom, Shizuma pondering something.

"I'll go get ready." The blue haired woman slipped into the bathroom.

"Okay, I'll wait in the bedroom."

Shizuma quickly entered the bedroom, lighted some candles and got something out of her travelling bag.

A few moments later, Miyuki came.

"Wow, it's beautiful…and so romantic." She walked over to her lover and wrapped her arms around the other woman. "I love you, my jewel."

"I love you, too. I love you so very, very much. And because I love you, I want to ask you something." Shizuma released her love and lowered herself onto one knee, holding out the little box she'd pulled out of her bag before.

"Miyuki, would you marry me?"

Miyuki looked at Shizuma and at the box, a look of surprise, then of exuberant happiness displayed on her face.

"Yes! I want to marry you!"

Shizuma tenderly took her hand and slipped the sapphire ring onto her finger. Then, she got up again and kissed her girlfriend passionately, pulling her gently toward the bed, sliding into blissful oblivion.


	14. Completion

It was late when Shizuma finally closed the door to her home. The study group had gone on forever, but it had been worth it. Business law was definitely not an easy subject, and the young woman was very happy that she had the help of Takahashi whenever she needed it. Yawning, she quietly slipped into the bathroom to brush her teeth and change her clothing. Miyuki was sure to be asleep already.

When she was done, Shizuma opened the bedroom door and slipped in, tiptoeing to the bed and sliding between the sheets. Miyuki stirred and mumbled something. The green eyed woman gently kissed her lover's brow, careful not to wake her. She had talked to Miyuki on the phone earlier, and she'd mentioned not feeling well. Shizuma didn't envy her lover's pregnancy, seeing how strenuous it was becoming towards the end. She snuggled as close to Miyuki as she dared and quickly fell into a deep sleep.

* * *

Only a few moments seemed to have passed when she was woken by Miyuki shaking her shoulder.

"What is it?" the silver haired beauty mumbled, not wanting to move.

"Jewel, I'm sorry to wake you…but…oh dear god…" Miyuki moaned.

Instantly, Shizuma was wide-awake.

"What's wrong, angel?"

She was surprised to see the overhead lights turned on and Miyuki completely dressed.

"I think…I think I'm in labor."

"Are you sure? You've got two weeks to go." Shizuma's mind was reeling, not able to focus on any coherent thought.

Miyuki moaned again, holding her protruding belly. "I think the baby doesn't care." she said through gritted teeth.

"Okay." The green eyed woman shook her head, trying to clear her mind. "We have to get you to the hospital." She climbed out of bed and quickly got dressed.

"Do you think you can walk?"

"Yes." Miyuki said, sounding doubtful.

Shizuma picked up Miyuki's hospital bag and supported her lover on the way toward the car. The walk seemed to take forever. Miyuki was walking very slowly and had to stop for every contraction.

When they were finally settled in the car, Shizuma asked: "Angel, just out of curiosity, how long have you already been in labor?"

"I'm not sure, why?"  
"Well, your contractions are coming every five minutes, and the doctor told us they'd start with rather longer intervals."  
"It's been going on for a while." Miyuki admitted.

"Why didn't you wake me sooner?"  
" I wasn't sure….oooohhhh, this hurts…oooww..." She panted and moaned through another contraction. "I wasn't sure if it was the real thing and I didn't want to wake you for a false alarm."

"Oh, angel…" Shizuma didn't know what to say.

They drove on, their silence only interrupted by Miyuki's moans. Finally, they reached the hospital. Miyuki's doctor was already waiting and rushed them right to the delivery room.

"You'll stay with me, Shizuma?" A worried expression crossed the blue haired woman's face.

"Of course I will." Shizuma reassuringly squeezed her love's hand.

* * *

Several gruelling hours later, a completely exhausted Miyuki was holding a tiny bundle of blankets in her arms, a radiant smile on her face.

"Shizuma, say hello to our daughter."

An equally exhausted Shizuma leaned towards the bundle, pushing away a fold of blanket to look at the beautiful baby girl within. Tiny fingers reached out and wrapped themselves around the green eyed woman's finger.

"She's gorgeous." Shizuma whispered, awestruck. She was unable to look away from the patch of black hair and light brown eyes.

"What will we call her?" Miyuki asked quietly.

"There's only one name for our daughter, Miyuki." Shizuma said, turning her gaze away from the baby.

"Oh?"

"Kaori." the green eyed woman said.

"Yes…that is the only name for our daughter." Miyuki kissed the top of Shizuma's head gently.

* * *

The sun shone brightly, the sky was scattered with only a handful of fluffy white clouds on this gorgeous August afternoon. A soft breeze kept the day from becoming too hot.

Shizuma smiled. It was just as she had imagined it would be. The waves gently rolling onto the beach. The feel of the sand beneath her bare feet. The small number of close friends and family sitting on the chairs behind her- Masahiro, holding little Kaori in his lap, his wife beside him, Amane and Hikari, Nagisa and Tamao, Hiro and a young woman, Yaya and Tsubomi, Shion and Chikaru, Kagome, Remon and Kizuna.

The figure-hugging white gown she was wearing, with the small train, the lace covering her cleavage and back, ending in a high-neck, the bodice covered with beads, continuing into a tight, hip-hugging skirt flaring out beneath her knees, skirt and train also covered in intricate bead designs. The makeshift-altar and the undenominational chaplain in front of her.

Her gaze drifted past the chairs, landing on the one person still missing.

Wearing a white dress gathered just beneath the breasts and held by a silver ornament, a flowing and layered chiffon skirt beginning just under the gathered material, the dress held in place by broad straps with chiffon trains flowing over her arms, her feet bare, Miyuki walked toward her, a beautiful smile on her face, her glowing happiness a promise for the woman she was heading for. Shizuma found her lips matching that smile, returning the promise.

Finally, it was complete.


End file.
